Yuri “the boxing rabbi” Foreman fights with the Star of David embroidered onto his shorts. The super welterweight world champion and rabbinical scholar will defend his title against Miguel Cotto this Saturday. But not before he’s properly observed the Sabbath.
At 9:15pm, after the sun goes down, an NYPD escort will drive with Foreman to the world-famous Yankee Stadium (the fight will start at 11:15pm)… Until then, Foreman can’t fight or even travel. Foreman is the first Orthodox Jew to win a world championship since Jackie (Kid) Berg in 1932.
Which is not the only milestone: not since Muhammad Ali fought Ken Norton in 1976 (ticket sales were poor, the NYPD went on strike and promoters said “never again” to the location) has the ballpark seen a boxing match held there.
“This is the greatest gym in America” said the baby-faced Foreman at a press training session at Gleason’s Gym in DUMBO earlier this week. “Thank you for coming, and please stay out of my way." And for over an hour, Foreman proceeded to bounce, jump, trot, dance, jab, and punch for the assembled photographers and TV crews.
“He’s hard to catch, guys just can’t hit him. That’s why he’s so dangerous,” said one on-looker.
Like a million-dollar race horse Foreman was paraded round before the crowd as a beacon of physical fitness. We watch him in a fierce round of punches practising with trainer Joe Grier, he punched a bag with his fists so fast that the image of his hands blurred to the naked eye. And not once did he stop moving his feet.
Murray Wilson, Foreman’s manager, told us: “he can beat Cotto if he moves, he can’t stand in the middle of the ring with him – then it’s just a war of attrition. We’re gonna still be champions after Saturday."
Then, dripping with sweat, Foreman faced a wall of journalists, tape recorders and television cameras.
“Anyone can imagine how I feel right now,” says Leila Leidecker, his wife, who seemed tense and nervous. She understands the preparation it takes as a former boxer herself (and former model) – the two met in Gleason's, where she helped train Hilary Swank for her Oscar-winning role in Million Dollar Baby.
Foreman told the assembled reporters about first meeting his wife after a training session. "Guys are afraid to talk to the prettiest girl, well, I wasn't. I said, let me try for the prettiest girl. I went over, we spoke and I invited her out."
They both decided to reconnect with their Jewish faith about three years ago. When they visited their local synagogue, Rabbi Pinson, as they know him now, was telling a story using an allegory related to boxing. He didn’t know who Yuri was.
“Boxing back in the day used to be a Jewish sport; it was the sport of the immigrants,” Foreman said, who, growing up in Israel trained mainly in Palestinian neighborhoods before moving to Brooklyn. “It all depends on Obama – if he gets this immigration thing passed, I am going to be the last immigrant boxer! Of course I feel a link to the other Jewish world champions – we are all related."
Of his faith he said: “Ali as a boxer was a very spiritual person, before a fight he would say a prayer. We are not just animals, we have a soul in us too. It’s important to balance those two sides out. It is a very delicate sport."
But Ali had a mean streak, said another reporter. “I am still trying to figure out what my mean streak is. It’s a work in progress,” Foreman replied.
We’ll see if he’s found it on Saturday.